


Riverdale's Finest

by Effystar



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-10-14 21:40:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10544780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Effystar/pseuds/Effystar
Summary: Clint gets put undercover to solve something fishy and hates it





	1. Retirement Means Shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agent Clinton Barton is still reeling from the loss of his partner and handler when he is given a task, a task he doesn't really want. Retired means nothing to SHIELD

It had been months since his handlers death, which to SHIELD meant that he was ‘Signed off’ for medical reasons and stress related incidents. Which is what the medical team is now classing him smashing up and exploding his old bunk at the headquarters, which they said was his way of dealing with the team’s loss. He couldn't help but laugh at that diagnosis because Phil was so much more that a team member to him.

Which was also the other reason why he was confused sitting the brand spanking new SHIELD meeting room spinning the ring on his finger waiting for some sort of explanation when Maria walked into the room.

‘Good Afternoon Clint’ she smiles as he tries to read her body language all signs are flagging, something is wrong...very wrong ‘Sorry to call you in while you are on medical leave but we need someone of your calibre on this mission’ she moves the black folder towards him ‘we aren't sure if this is something but we need someone out there’

He hums pulling the black folder closer flicking through the photos of what he can only explain is a tiny town that looks like it is stuck in the 1950’s until he gets to the photo of the red headed boy, the name printed in that shitty stock police force font like Times New Roman or something which made his stomach flip, but it made sense why they didn't really use Comic sans I suppose.

‘We need you to infiltrate these guys’ she slides a photo of some sad excuse for a bike gang before moving a leather jacket onto the table making Clint let out a groan because at this rate he knew there was no way to say no to this. They needed him and they have already built his back story and some shitty excuse for a life.

‘Right? And my reason for being there I am guessing is this carrot top?’ holding up the photo ‘What did this Jason Blossom kid do that affects SHIELD?’

She moved into the seat across from him letting out a sigh ‘We aren't sure if it is something un human but we need to get someone out there to find out. The kid is dead and it seems suspicious’

He can’t help but roll his eyes yet again he is sent on some grunt work some stupid town needing him undercover. Clearly none of the agents had the same ‘biker’ look as him so he let out a groan rubbing at his face. ‘ I don’t have a choice huh do it?’

Maria shakes her head, her hands moving to rub at each other ‘Clint I know that you are on Medical leave but we need you, I know that you need time to mourn but you are now our only option.’

Moving to stand he grabs the leather jacket ‘Fine Ill fucking do it, but I am not gunna fucking like it Maria’ he turns away from her before stopping ‘Tell Nick when I get back I need to talk to him.’ she nods moving to stand ‘Wings up in 25 mins, you will be dropped at a rendezvous point where your bike and cover story will be waiting’

He rolls his eyes mumbling out a few choice swear words knowing this will be one hell of a fucking shit show. Looking down at the photo of the town ‘Fuck you Riverdale, making me come out of retirement’


	2. Don't fear the Reaper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint arrives in Riverdale, cold and angry....which is perfect for a serpent

He had always been good at packing in a flash all the years of escaping foster homes and circus’ had trained him for that, but that was back when he didn’t have a home and things and a husband. Then again he didn’t have that anymore, did he. He looked into the bedroom that he had been ignoring since Phil was taken from him, refusing to move anything because it would get rid of the scent and the memory of the man he loved. So he decided to go to the closest outlet store and just buy a load of shitty black biker-like clothes and shoved them into a duffel bag after removing all the labels. On his way to the waiting Jet he gets pulled into the SHIELD hairdresser which makes him groan as the woman practically pushes him down into the chair and gets the clippers out. She starts talking about the look that they are going for, and how he can style it himself while he is on the mission. After twenty minutes he is shown the back of his head where a slicked back mohican finishes off his biker look. The woman thanks him for his time before he gets up heading towards the waiting jet.

The jet hold was empty probably because Maria thought it would be best for Clint not to have anyone to beat up knowing he wouldn’t touch the pilot after the whole Loki event. Moving to strap himself into his jump seat moving to look of the photos of the shithole pleasantville town he will be going into.

He took in everything in from the folder full of what Maria called intel that he could before the jet set down and the pilot spoke up. ‘Agent Barton your cover and bike will be under the tarp to your left, good luck agent’ he stands and moves towards the back of the jet as it slowly opens before him and a sharp wind hits him and he suddenly regrets not having a nagging partner at home to yell at him to not forget his long sleeve shirts.

Grabbing his bag he heads to the left seeing the items left for him before pulling on the leather jacket which by the way in case you were wondering does nothing to keep out the fucking cold. Grabbing his cover story and moving to commit as much as he could to memory before burning it.

Southside Serpents. ‘Sound like a bunch of fucking shits if you ask me’ he said to the cold air that surrounded him as he read there rap sheet from the local police force that seemed to act like they didn’t exist. Drug Deals, Mysterious Deaths, Beatings all your typical biker gang shit with a splash of mafia minus the horse head. He flicked through the photos of the gang taking note of the leader who had some typical white posh boy name which made him laugh. How the hell did he end up leader of a fucking gang with that fucking name.

Forsythe Pendleton "FP" Jones II 

Continuing his trip into FP’s life he frowned at the photos of his kids trying to imagine what type of shit they are going through being in any way connected to that man.

He moves to pull the tarp of the other items in his care package revealing a well loved harley that would make James Dean cream his pants moving his hand over the shining chrome and over the large headlight smiling softly. ‘Phil if you could only see what they have given me! You would be yelling at Nick about how safety should be my top priority and that I should have a helmet’ 

He looked around noticing the lack of one with a small grin. Phil would rip Nick a new one. If he was alive that was.

The recurring guilt washes over him because he knows out of the both of them he should of been the one that died during Loki’s attack on New York, during his dark turn he starts to light the paper and drops it on the floor. He knows all he needs. FP Jones runs a gang and he needs to join and find out who the fuck killed carrot top.

Watching the paper burn to ash he moves to zip up his jacket and get onto the bike grabbing the burner phone on the side before starting it up. The engine roaring to life below him as the machine rumbled happily and he started his drive towards his new home until this shit storm is over.

As he road down the street towards Riverdale the only thing going through his head was that damn Blue Oyster Cult song that Phil would always play.


	3. Not all snakes are poisonousness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint begins his travel into Riverdale

It takes him about an hour to get to Riverdale passing the sign he saw in the photos ‘the town with pep’ makes him almost vomit, how can this town be so cheesy and yet so dark all in one go. As he drives thought what he can only expect is the center of town due to the diner lights glowing from a far his stomach rumbles and Phil’s voice pops into his head about how he needs to eat and how he needs to remember to look after himself when on missions which makes him pull into the parking lot of the Diner called Pop’s. 

‘Really could they pick any other 1950’s half assed name for this fucking diner. Where is my fucking time machine’ he groans as he turns off the bike eliciting some looks from the teenagers sitting in the window booth.

He moves into the diner which of course made the entirety of the place turn and look at the strange man that had just walked in, looking around at the groups of people sitting around laughing at the fact that even the fucking sheriff was in here eating what looked like a fucking burger. 

He grabs a seat at the bar picking up the menu his stomach rumbling at everything he sees as his eyes case the joint not really enjoying having his back to the window but he had to try not to look like a shady agent and more like a biker that wanted the whole town to know he was there.

A skinny black haired woman walks up to him with a sweet smile wearing a pink smock as he looks up at the woman ‘What can I get you stranger’ he flashes his cheesiest smile which Natasha always called the lady killer as it made the woman he was dealing with in any mission fell in love with him. 

‘Well what can you suggest? As you clearly know I am new hear and I have a meeting with a man later, maybe you can help me find him too?’ he sees his skills of deception and flirting work well as the lady before him laughs and a small blush slips across her cheeks as she writes something down turning round and handing the order to the chef before coming back as he looks at her name badge.

Hermione…..Yet another name that seems to Posh Manhattan girl to be working in a diner and her pearls looked 100% real.She was clearly earning money in another way or had another life once before.

‘Who is it you are looking for? Not many people come to this town for that reason’ she laughed ‘ for any reason for that matter’ he watches her movements as he realises he can get a lot out of this woman, any necessary information she seemed in the know and like a box with no lock.

Moving to pull a scrap of paper from his pocket with the name of the man he had already memorized he looks up at her. ‘FP Jones’ he lets out a small hum watching her emotions falter slightly. She clearly knew the man and from the looks of it didn’t like him.

‘Oh he works at...at Andrew’s construction. That would be your best place to find him’ she clears her throat turning back to the counter taking some food to a far off table clearly ignoring him and stopping any chance of further questions. He moves to get his phone out and google the construction company that the server said to him as he tries to get as much information as he can before going to find the man in question.

He looks around the diner seeing what the town holds within its people, in the booth that looked at him when he entered is another boy with red hair making him double take, next to him is what he can only call the walking description of Emo who are mirrored by two girls that they are clearly the hot girls at school. In the next booth over there is this fire red head surrounded by other hot girls and the table screams cheerleader making him laugh as he thinks how Natasha could run circles around them all.

From the looks of it this small town is all types of people but also has the stereotypical geek,jock,cheerleader etc. Clint never went to highschool but he never realised it was really like the TV shows he watched when on break at the circus.  
He hears the noise of a plate landing on the bar before him making him smile at the lady before him as the burger on the plate oozes with cheese and the smell of bacon hits him making his stomach rumble. ‘Wow! You really did surprise me’ smiling up at the brunette before him who blushes slightly which Clint isn’t sure if it her way of getting a bigger tip as he grabs a french fry from the plate. 

‘Do you need anything else, or are you happy with your surprise?’ a small grin validating everything that Clint was thinking about the woman. She knew exactly how to play the customer. ‘I’m good doll, thank you!’ he flashes another grin up at the lady watching her face falter slightly at the name before moving away. She was for sure above this diner work even if she tried not to show it.

He bites into the burger and at that moment he realises why everyone in this small town is here, the juice from the burger spills down his hands and coats all his rings within a second as the cheese slides out of the bun. He was about to let out a groan at how good the burger tasted as the maple of the bacon hits him and he is gone. The burger barely touches his lips before it’s gone and he is licking up the remaining juices on his fingers not caring that he may look like a cheap rent boy as he does this, before moving on to the fries. Even the fries have a unique flavor, the seasoning making his senses travel back to the deep south enjoying everyone before the plate is licked clean.

He practically leans back in his stool enjoying his stomach finally feeling full knowing that Phil’s voice in his head will finally quieten down making him smile at the memory. He is broken from his happy memory as the waitress comes back offering a wet wipe and taking his plate. ‘Did you enjoy that?’. He can’t help but smile as a response ‘I did! Now I know why the whole fucking town is here! Clearly Pop’s puts some sort of addictive thing in those burgers because I already want another one’. The woman lets out a happy laugh at his comments before holding up her notepad ‘Shall I take another order for you but To Go?’.

He shakes his head patting his stomach ‘I gotta watch my figure! I can’t replace my 6 pack with burgers that quickly! I have business to get too’ the woman starts writing before handing him a hand written list of directions to Andrews Construction as he thanks her and drops a $50 on the bar telling her to keep the change as he heads back to his bike memorising the notes of how to get to the construction site hoping the man with the stupid name is there. He starts the bike up and heads towards the construction site taking in the town.

It takes him about 10 minutes to get to the construction site parking his bike outside the mobile headquarters and moving to knock on the door waiting for someone to open as he looks around. When the door does open there is a man standing before who just looks fucking tired if he is honest, the beard that has grown on his face is clearly not for style it’s because he doesn’t have time to shave. His checked shirt hangs off his body that is covered by the grey hanes shirt that has also seen better days.‘Can I help you?’ The man looks up at him holding the clipboard to his side as he takes in Clint’s look. 

‘I was told I could find some one here, Hermione from the diner sent me here but you are not FP so clearly she was wrong…’ he watches the man’s changing emotions on his face even if it was just for a second he knows that there is some hurt with in that relationship. ‘I am guessing he isn’t here?’ the man clears his throat shifting slightly showing Clint that he is uncomfortable ‘ Oh right, yeah he doesn’t work here anymore, sorry she gave you the wrong information’ he hums before looking at the jacket that hugs Clint’s shoulders. By doing this he shows Clint that he knows about FP’s dark background.

‘You can find him at the bar on the south side of the tracks if you need him, if he isn’t there they will be able to tell you where he is’ Clint nods along with each bit of information that the man before him tells him before thanking him and moving down the metal steps towards his bike.

‘Be careful, the bar isn’t the family friendly type of place’ the man’s comment making Clint’s brow raise unsure what made him think that he had a family or perhaps it was a passing comment. 

‘Good thing I don’t have a family then huh?’ he grins up at the man before starting up the bike and heading towards this dive bar.

For such a small town this FP guy was fucking hard to find and it was starting to piss Clint off.


	4. Welcome to the Snake Pit

The cold air bites at his skin as he rides towards the dive bar hoping the place had some sort of heating or if there was somewhere to buy dam thermals. As the bike comes up to the bar the white snake is prominently showing off its fangs, clearly meant to be a sign to scare people off but that is clearly lost on Clint it just makes him let out a groan. ‘God could this town be any cheesier’ he says to no one as he moves to park the bike in the line out front.

Turning off the bike he makes his move into the bar, as soon as he walks into the bar he feels the dirt hit his body. His need for a shower going up by about 1000 percent as he looks around at the gang of what he can only call delinquents and jail birds. The second the wooden door closed behind him everyone took a moment to look up at him, he was standing there like a deer in headlights. He has faced worse that this so he moves forward and walks directly to the bar.

The bar clearly hasn’t been cleaned for years as his arm sticks to the wood as he leans forward waiting to ask the bartender where this FP guy is. The second his mouth utters the name in question the bar seems to suddenly snaps into a silence making his hearing aids almost hum in his ears.  
The man from the photo practically slides down the staircase in the middle of the bar every one seemed to move out of his way with out question which meant that Nick and Maria had literally sent him into the Snake pit to meet the leader. He makes a mental note to shoot Nick again.

‘Can I help you, you look really lost’ the man is now before him almost teasing and waiting for a good enough answer to the question. Clint moves to crack his neck hoping that all this was fucking worth it as he hands FP the note that was left for him by Maria hoping that those dam SHIELD investigators had made it as believable as possible or else Clint was coming out with a few broken bones.

The man grabs the envelope, almost snatching it to almost prove he was the boss as his eyes run over the paper a small sly grin appearing on his face before he looks up at Clint. ‘Well then! Looks like we have an out of town brother with us for a while’

Clint smiles at the man who puts his arm around him and literally drags him to the bar and getting him Whiskey without a question and handing it to him waiting for him to cheers him. ‘Welcome to Riverdale brother, this town is nothing like the one you come from! Just know that Iowa has nothing on us!’ he downs the whiskey making a satisfied noise as the liquid moves down his throat and Clint moves to follow suit trying not to show the burn on his face.

The man before him is staring quite intently over Clint’s shoulder in a way that he is far to used too, his hearing aids, no matter how small that Tony says he can make them they still stick out like a sore thumb. ‘My ears got damaged in a bar fight’ he shrugs ‘You should've seen the other guy, he's 6ft under now’ the man laughs meaning that was the right thing to say.

‘Good to have you here kid! We will get you back to work in no time don’t you worry. You got a pack? Clothes? Wanna bring it upstairs we have some lodging, nothin’ fancy but it will put a roof over your head during your stay’ Clint nods before moving towards the door to get the bag that is full off all the freshly bought ‘biker style’ clothes making him secretly wishing he had time to make them dirty to explain his long drive from Iowa.

He comes back and follows the man upstairs as he is taken to a room, which is surprisingly better than his old Circus bunk as the man leaves him to get settled. He looks around taking in the room for all that it is a double bed, draws, lamp and a mini fridge he moves his bag to the bed sitting on it as the noise of the bar trickles up to the room. The one time he is thankful for his deafness or else he wouldn’t be getting any sleep while he was here.

He moves to throw his bag to the corner before heading back downstairs looking around at the ragtag crew that fills the bar, he looks over to the pool table frowning slightly at the clearly underage kids that surround it.

He heads down the stairs and towards the bar trying to get a feel for what he can get from the people around here without causing any issues, sliding up to the bar ordering a beer before speaking to the bearded man next to him. ‘What’s with the underage kids playing pool? Doesn’t the sheriff come to this bar?’

The man beside him laughs ‘See that scrawny kid in the grey hat, that's FP’s son...no one messes with the kids when they come in here. The sheriff is to scared to step foot in here we are our own law here’

Clint couldn’t help but laugh at that comment ‘Well that makes sense then!’ he sips at his beer taking in the boy the man pointed out. He seemed so different to the head of the serpents and reminded Clint a lot of himself, doing anything he could to distance himself from the family legacy.

The group of them looked like they came straight out of The Breakfast Club or some other John Hughes film. You had the Jock, the Misfit, the bad boy and the fashion icon that Clint would bet $3000 on that he was flying the rainbow flag. It was basically everything Clint wished he had when he was in High School, not that he ever went.

He turns back around to focus on nursing the beer in his hand knowing he can’t focus on them too much especially if one of them is really connected to this place by a blood line. He needs to dig his heels in and work out who the hell in this town decided to murder some creepy ken doll looking red head so he can get back to New York and curl up on his sofa holding the pillow that Phil used to sleep on.

He spends the rest of his evening pounding back beer and whiskey chatting with the other serpents any care for his head in the morning going out the window as he tries to drink away the memories of the blue haze that took over his brain in New York and that dam Norse God with the horns.


	5. The Devil is on Horseback

He wakes up letting out a silent scream as the same horror filled dream hits him and his body sweats all over, letting out a pant as his muscles relax from the tension running through them as the hangover hits.His body is making sure that he knows all the shots that he did last night as he moves to sit up, every injury he has ever had flaring up as he puts his head in his hand taking a swig from the beer bottle on the bedside with a groan.

Attempting to stand his mind floods with the fog of last nights booze as he rocks slightly before moving towards the bathroom hoping to find something to get rid of the taste of whiskey and cigarettes.He decides to skip the shower and just head downstairs to the bar to see if anyone is still standing, looking at the light pouring through the windows upstairs it must be at least 730 in the morning and yet the bar still has people drinking. The smell of the bar hits him like a brick wall making his stomach flip as he spots FP nursing what looks like a half drunk bottle of Jack Daniels at the bar as he moves towards him.

‘Mornin’ you guys got anything like coffee around here or will I have to go back to Pop’s?’

The man grins up holding up the bottle ‘Everything we have here has a proof, but you look like you saw the bottom of one of these last night!’ his hand moves to run though his 5 o’clock shadow ‘ Looks like pop’s might be your best bet, but they aren’t the biggest fan of us serpents! So watch your back!’

He nods ‘Yeah that would be true, I think I gotta watch out for that sheriff as I think I am like 10 times over the limit but it would be worth it for coffee’ he laughs before moving towards the door and his bike as his head pounds.

Opening the door to the bar is literally like being in a pitch black room and opening the fridge. He has never been so happy for sunglasses until this time. His eyes feel like they are burning in the sockets as he burps up the froth from the beer last night. His body practically begging for the caffeinated nectar of the gods as he heads back to the Diner hoping to not swerve. Phil’s voice popping into his head about how he should try and behave while on missions even if drinking is something his cover should do, he shouldn’t do it in such excess.

He pulls up into the parking lot of the diner, thanking the lord that the Sheriff wasn’t out on patrol because lord knows where his licence is after last night.The rumble of the bike drawing attention to himself before he has even got into the diner.

Stepping inside the diner again is like he has stepped inside a 1950’s movie before he tries to find the darkest booth trying to not stink out the place with the liquor smell that is coming out of his pores. The lady from before comes over pouring a mug of coffee without a question. ‘Looks like someone has had a late night with some serpents’ She smiles as he takes the mug groaning slightly his free hand running over his freshly shaved hair. ‘ Hermione you have no idea! These serpents drink like goldfish! And they don’t have coffee at all!!’ he flashes a grin up at her which makes her giggle like a schoolgirl.

‘So you are part of the serpents then’ her eyes practically flash with excitement as she takes in his disheveled look as he lets out a small hum holding up his mug

‘In the flesh doll! Not a Riverdale one but I am visiting’ he grins finally taking a sip of the warm drink in his hand making a point to look the woman up and down with a small smirk. Which judging by her nervous shifting she also notices and seems to enjoy his brashness. ‘Are you not scared of the Serpents, Seems the rest of this town is, I walked in here on eggshells.’

She smiles softly moving her hair from her face and behind her shoulder ‘I am not afraid of some biker gang, I grew up in New York’ She lets out a small laugh.

He hums sitting slightly forward ‘Maybe I can take you to the bar some time? We could play some pool if that’s your sort of thing’ As soon as the words leave his lips his mind decides to replay memories of him and Phil in bed making him move his hand under the table and clench his hand, his nails digging into the soft skin on his palms.

The woman before him flushes slightly before moving away from his table with the coffee pot moving to fill up another customer’s cup casually looking back to Clint’s table.

He lets out a ragged sigh as he lets his hand relax before looking at the marks on his palm as he moves to try and finish his coffee running his hands through the shaved sides of his hair. He feels the blue fog run through his mind again as his body shivers, goosebumps raising all over his body as he hears a male voice.

_‘ You lack conviction.’_

His hand tightens around the mug as the memory replays, watching from the air vent as Loki took away the one man that believed in him, the one man that he loved.

He jumps at the memory opening his eyes looking around the diner unsure if he lashed out or said anything. Grabbing a $5 bill he throws it on the table moving to leave as he is sidelined by the waitress.

‘Is our coffee that bad? You didn’t even finish one cup!’ she smiles innocently ‘ We do togo as well you know’

‘Can’t take a togo cup on a Motorcycle doll but thanks, got somewhere to be. You know what it’s like’ he shrugs ‘but maybe give me your number and I can get some better coffee at your place’ he tries to flash his signature grin hoping it works as she moves to scratch down a number with a grin.

‘Call me, I have a great espresso machine’ she hands him the paper with a small wink and he moves to leave, making sure he is playing hard to get as his lungs tighten making his need for fresh air suddenly grow as he moves round the side of the diner as a panic attack sets in and he slides to the floor.

_‘Agent? Barton? Come on look at me….Clint breathe for me….in and out 1.2.3...it’s okay Clint, I am here just breathe’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are memories


	6. Even snakes feel pain

His lungs tightened as he slid down to the ground struggling to breathe as he practically hid behind the diner, the last thing he wanted was to go back to Maria and Nick saying his cover had been blown because he couldn’t control his emotions.

His mind was being extremely cruel and making him relive the nights spent at Phil’s apartment, with him wrapped around the other man on the couch watching some mind numbing nanny show that Phil seemed to love. When he would lay there without his hearing aids and just enjoy the feeling of Phil’s heart pumping beneath him, reminding him that he is alive and with him. 

Phil always seemed to know when Clint was getting lost in his mind his arm usually moving to tighten around him and his hand moving to play with his hair, which was something that always made him relax. 

His heart ached at the idea that he will never feel that again, he will never really feel safe again. He will never be drinking wine watching Phil cook his mother’s signature italian meatballs in their kitchen as his partner plans the upcoming trip for Christmas. 

That year would of been Clint’s first year with a family based Christmas, he had already been welcomed into Phil’s family with the cover story that Nick had made for him. The young personal trainer that fell in love with the accountant in New York. Phil’s mother was over the moon that he had finally brought someone home.

They had spent a week with his family and he met them all including all the kids that Phil managed with so well, It made him realise why he was so good at his handler position. He was welcomed so easily and they treated him like he had been part of the family for years.

The kids seemed to love the idea of Uncle Phil bringing a friend home that enjoyed running around in the garden and playing games as the parents sat around and chatted. Clint wanted these kids to have everything that was stolen from him as a child. Which Phil continued to make fun of him the next day when he took all the kids to the local toy r us and let them get whatever they wanted.

He remembers the hug he got from all of them as they left the kids barreling into his legs almost knocking him over and the simple kiss Phil’s mother gave him on his cheek that made his heart fill with warmth.

His friendly brain reminds him of the break in the woman’s voice as he heard Nick call her to tell her that Phil had been in a fatal car accident on the way to the office as he was hiding in the vents over Nick’s office. After the call Nick looked up at the vents to almost acknowledge that he knew Clint was there making him curl up on himself.

When the day of the funeral came he was worried that Nick would stick to the guidelines and tell him that he wasn’t allowed to attend but Phil’s mother asked for him personally. Walking with the family towards the grave where his lover will be put to rest. One of the kids asking to be carried by Clint curling his little arms around his neck as he cried for his missing uncle which made his heart break.

That was the day he decided he never deserved to be happy again.

When that invite came to the house from Phil’s mother asking him to join them anyway for christmas he grabbed his jump bag from Phil’s office and disappeared for Christmas and New Year. Making sure not to leave any trace of his mark on this world, he didn’t deserve to be part of.

The day that Phil Coulson was murdered was the day Clint Barton died.

He had been hiding out for a few months, bouncing around and doing odd jobs to make money living off the grid, but clearly not off the grid enough as Nick had still managed to find him and pull him out of his hole and bring him here. 

But as Nick has always said an Agent of Shield is never lost.

His breathing starts to even out as he remembers Phil and him laying in bed when he had slight frostbite and they were using each other’s body heat to survive until the evac crew arrived and to pass the time Phil was bringing up his hopes and dreams for the future. 

They ended up talking about places they had always wanted to go and both decided that they would one day go to Tahiti and get away from the drama of SHIELD and alien invasions. 

They never got there. Flights were booked for the New Year. Phil died November 16th.


	7. Jumping off buildings, It's all in a days work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mini hiatus, but my Birthday took precedence. Hope you enjoy

His body seemed to finally settle as he moved his head into his hand feeling like he had gone three rounds with Mike Tyson. He groans moving to get up, his body aching as the muscles finally relax from there tensed state. He attempts to sneak back to his bike, starting it with ease as his head spins before moving to the Serpents bar.

When he gets back to the bar it seems a lot of people are out doing whatever a biker gang does during the day, pretty thankful for that because his stomach is turning and all he wants to do is curl into a bed and try and forget the day.

He manages to sleep a couple hours before noises started downstairs which make him move downstairs as he pulls on his leather jacket finding FP who is at the bar drinking. Holding up his beer to him as he moves to join him.

‘Long night?’ the man before him lets out a small laugh as Clint pushes his hair back into place as he is handed a beer.

‘I guess the time difference got the best of me last night’ he casually shrugs as he takes the offered beer and takes a long swig from it with a hum. ‘Got any jobs for me yet or do I just get to hang out here and get drunk?’

The man before him rubs at his face nodding ‘Actually we have just had a job come up, bit out of the ordinary but it’s good for our street cred at the moment since the Blossom kid showed up dead. I need some guys to work on the construction yard with me, you think you’d be up for some hard labour?’

He lets out a laugh as his mind races back to the circus days where his entire life was hard labour. ‘Yeah I think I can deal with that, I am used hard labour so its no biggy, I have some boots I can wear at the construction yard’. He moves to take a swig of his beer before continuing ‘What time do you want me there? And do I need tools?’

He waits as the man before him drinks clearly thinking over the question before checking the time. ‘We can get there after these? The others are still in the process of waking up and dealing with hangovers from last night’ he moves to finish his beer before standing from his stool. ‘Get changed and showered, you look like shit!’ his hand moves to clasp on Clint's shoulder with a small squeeze before he leaves.

Clint nods at the man before he chugs the beer and then heads back upstairs and towards the bathroom hoping he will get some hot water out of this place but not hoping for much with the amount of people that live above the bar. Grabbing his bathroom stuff and walking to the communal shower praising the lord that it was empty and surprisingly clean as he moves to lock the door relaxing slightly as he turns on the water stepping underneath after undressing and removing his hearing aids. 

His back muscles relax as the hot water hits his body and he lets out a groan that he has been keeping in as he moves to get his shampoo moving to clean his body and hair in one go. His mind flashing back to the shower in his old house, feeling his partner's hands sneak onto his shoulders and carefully massage them making him suddenly snap back to reality, his heart aching again as he moves to speed up the shower.

Not before long he is pulling on some oversized shirt and some tatty jeans hopefully the days work won’t be too hard as he is really feeling that whiskey and beer last night. Finally moving to pull on his boots he moves back downstairs hoping he hasn't taken too long to get ready and meet the others.

As he moves into the bar he waits for FP and the others to join before they all jump onto the bikes and head over to the Andrews construction yard and FP takes his truck with all the tools. He watches the man with the red beard move forward to FP as soon as they all park up at the yard and within seconds Clint can tell that the man had no idea that they were coming and he didn’t seem to pleased about it.

Clint leaned back on his bike watching the lips of both parties in the conversation trying to understand what was making the red head so angry. He frowned slightly as he saw the words of fights and someone was in the hospital and there was mention of the Blossom’s which from the little time that Clint has been in Riverdale he knew that the Blossom’s seemed to have some sort of Magical hold over this place.

 

Clint moves to get off his bike and walk towards the rest of the Serpents and try and at least to get some work here on the site. Which finally seems to be what this Andrews guy seems to want as FP shakes his hand stating pretty clearly that they had nothing to do with that kid called Moose getting sent to the hospital. Clint’s stomach tightens slightly at the description of the attack as his mind flashes back to his own brother beating him unconscious.

‘ Ya never know FP it could of been an inside job or something? Maybe the kid owed money or something’ Clint shrugged looking at the man who lets out a laugh

‘ I don’t know how things work in New York but this is a small town, not many kids get into the dark world and there is no such thing as inside jobs here unless we do it’ he grins over at you.

The other serpents laugh around them both as Fred looks at Clint with a raised brow clearly a bit unsure of the new man of the group as FP looks at Fred clearly easing the man's worry with a single look.

The man lets out a sigh ‘Okay let’s get some work done hey?’ the redhead starts handing out hard hats to the others. He takes the offered hard hat with a soft smile hoping that he can blend in easily but feels like he is failing according to the way that the man before him is looking at him.

‘Do you really think it's best to be bringing new people around Riverdale with everything that's going on FP ?’ The red head man tries to whisper but clearly fails making the hairs on Clint’s neck stand at attention.

‘ Fred, he is one of us, he won't be trouble. Serpents had nothing to do with any of this especially not some nobody from New York. They run different shit up there and wouldn’t know anything about the kid before they sent him down here. Plus’ FP grins looking at Clint ‘The sheriff has more than likely already done a background check on him’

Clint tries to look shocked but he honestly isn’t surprised, small town, not much to do so he lets out a small laugh ‘You know I won’t bite, if ya got a question for me just ask!’ he moves the hard hat onto his head ‘ But right now I think we have some work to do, right?’

The men before him look slightly shocked before FP claps him on the back ‘That’s exactly right kid, let’s get to breaking some ground here and worry about the little things later’

With that Fred moves ahead of them and into the construction site offering out jobs looking at Clint and handing him a sledgehammer as Clint internally groans. He will regret this tomorrow.

‘Agent Barton, did you really think I would be okay with you jumping off an exploding building. You will be feeling that tomorrow’


	8. Remembering you are not that Young

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint helps out the locals and learns that everything is not what it seems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long to post, I have been at a bit of an block with this fic loosing my Mojo but hopefully this will bring back my excitement to write!

After what felt like a lifetime of sweating and hitting things with a hammer, which if he was honest really helped him release some of his pent up anger about his life. He made sure to make a mental note of this for a later episode, he heard the bell or whistle thing blow meaning they were finally allowed to get out of the sun and perhaps actually get showered. He wiped at his face as his stomach growled and one of the serpents mentioned going to the diner as they all put the tools back in the lock up which made the whole group of bikers cheer.

 

He felt gross and sticky as he moved back onto his bike cursing these burly men who wanted to go straight from the site to the diner. As he started up the bike and headed out towards the diner letting the wind hopefully get rid of maybe 40% of the stank on his body praising the lords of the higher ups that someone thought to pack his side saddle with some sort of deodorant or else they may all kill the workers of the diner with the combined smell of them all.

 

As the wind ran over his body his body started to relax and along came the aching muscles that always constantly reminded him that he wasn't as young as he thought or wanted to think he really was, the flair ups of past injuries making a guest appearance as well as he moved to park up the bike.

 

The second he parked up and moves his leg over his bike that old bullet wound reminded him of two tours with his jackass of a brother as he scavenged for some sort of deodorant finding a bottle and wanting to practically kiss it as the cold aerosol hit his skin as it tried to attempt to deal with his stink.

 

After a few strange looks from some of the other bikers he moved into the diner and towards the booths that the other bikers had taken over. He smiled to himself at the looks that they were all getting and then remembered that they may all be looking at him. He was the black sheep that no one really knew. Way to go Hill, couldn't give him a better backstory that would make him fit in properly.

 

‘ Ya know your town is so welcoming to outsiders, I just cant get over it’ he states sarcastically to Mustang who has sat beside him. He lets out a laugh and leans back slightly in the chair making it go up on two legs like a school kid.

 

‘The prized Blossom kid got his head blown off and basically showed the town’s true colours at all. People are scared at see how they are not perfect is all’ The man shrugs beside him ‘And you being here reminds them that things have changed is all’

 

Clint lets out a small hum as he thinks about what the man before him says, growing up in Iowa he understands the small town mentality and to everyone here he really does not belong and he is upsetting the nature of the town by just being here. Little did they know he is here because of the kid dying and as soon as he can figure all this shit out he will go back his barracks at the shield headquarters and burrow under his blankets and forget the world exists again.

 

He is suddenly brought out of his thoughts as FP hands him a cold beer, waiting for him to grab it. ‘Did manual labor really kill you that much? With muscles like that I thought you’d be used to that type of thing? Or are they just for show’ He teases moving to the free seat on the other side of Clint.

 

‘I what? Oh no just lost in thought’ He takes the bottle with a smile necking about half of it just to cool down ‘ And no they are not for show! I have done my fair share of hard work to get here. I earned my place in the serpent's just as much as anyone sitting on this table’ he moves to chug the last of his beer putting it on the table before him and getting up and heading towards the bathroom.

 

He moves into the bathroom thankful that it's empty as he moves to the sink and splashes his face with cold water from the tap as he hears the door to the stall open behind him, his body tenses as the person moves to the sink beside him.His body getting ready to fight if he had to, Clint wipes at his eyes seeing a boy standing beside him in the typical jock outfit smiling slightly at him as he washed his hands. The boys red hair like fire making Clint stare slightly as he left.

 

Yet again he feels like he is in pleasantville, the Jock with the perfect hair and probably perfect life and girlfriend. He rolled his eyes as he moved back to the table where everyone was making a scene over the waitress from before. Who seemed to be able to handle a huge crowd of bikers with a distinct ease. As she looks over to him joining the group with a soft smile. 

 

‘And what can I get for you? You want a massive breakfast too?’ she cocks her head slightly as the smile stays in place.

 

Clint lets out a small hum picking up on all her signals even if they are just there to get a bigger tip. ‘Beer if you have one and something greasy’ she nods as he speaks and he is pleasantly surprised that they have beer at a dam diner but hell he will take it if he can. He hears a young girl giggle behind him expecting to turn around to a kid or something behind him but looking over at a table with two girls and two guys sitting at it, one of them being the red head from the bathroom.

 

The whole scene clearly just confirms his thoughts, the kid has good friends and one of those girls could be his girlfriend. He lets out a small laugh as he turns back around to a questioning brow from FP.

 

‘Whats so funny?’ the man looks over to the table

 

Clint can’t help but shrug before speaking ‘your town is so much like pleasantville it makes me laugh! Like look at the Jock over there with the two hot girls and the kid with the beanie, I feel like I am watching an episode of 90210.’ FP smiles before shaking his head ‘you know you are a lucky man you didn’t speak down on my son!’ he nods his head towards Jugghead ‘Kid in the beanie’

 

Clint swallows thickly before smiling ‘ I was gunna say man there is no way your genes created a Jock’ he lets out a laugh as FP punches him square in the arms reminding him of the dull ache that has settled in.

 

The group of bikers died down as the waitress brought over the first set of plates that were steaming and scattered across her arms, Clint always remembers watching his mother doing the same and being amazed at how much one person could carry all thanks to the laws of Physics. He watches the bikers grabbing at the plates as the woman hands them over with ease which surprises Clint yet again when he realises the band of silver on her wrist that reminds him so much of the jewlery him and Barney robbed from this high end Hermes dealer in New York when they were still with the Circus. He raises a brow looking up at her as she hands him a plate with a smile.

 

Clearly there is a lot more to Hermione and the other adults in Riverdale, maybe that’s where he will have to start.

 

‘Sometimes Agent Barton the most innocent people are the villains’


	9. Nothing is what it seems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint struggles with Riverdale and its dirty secrets

As soon as the food hits Clint’s stomach it is like he has been renewed, clearly not realising how much all the hard labour took it out of him. Clearly his years of waiting around for missions was having and effect on his stamina. The Crew went silent while they all ate and when the bill came FP paid without any question or complaints from the others making Clint think that this must be a usual thing, perhaps part of being in a crew.

Once the bill was paid people slowly started getting up and leaving one by one excusing themselves to go and do other jobs or to go back to the Snake pit to shower.Clint leaned back in the chair slightly letting his body digest all the calories that he just put into it closing his eyes and enjoying just sitting there. 

When he reopened his eyes he realised it was just him and FP and he shifted slightly in his seat as he moved to look at the man. ‘So what’s the deal with the waitress? I mean she fits in here but then she also seems like the town is beneath her’ he grabs a toothpick from the table keeping his hands busy as FP lets out a hum and leans forward.

‘Ya know you are a good judge of character kid, I am surprised your crew let you come here so easily!’ he lets out a small laugh before sitting back ‘she married some big wig guy who is currently spending some time in the big house meaning she ain’t got enough money to stay in that New York penthouse of hers so she came home. Which it seems everyone from Riverdale ends up doing, ya know! You just can’t get away from a small town.’

Clint nods knowing the mentality oh to well ‘ I know what you mean’ he place the toothpick in his mouth before rolling it to the other side ‘ I grew up in Iowa in a /very/ small town’ he watches the man take in the information he had provided hoping Hill has not gone to far into his background in that stupid letter, his mind races back to reading it as his heart pounds.

‘Man! That’s probably worse than this place’ He laughs ‘Ya know I keeping thinking I should get my son outta here but he seems happy but there aren’t many opportunities for a kid like him, and I have burned a lot of bridges here’

Clint frowns slightly surprised by FP’s admission ‘ You know what FP? At least you are there for your son! My dad sure as hell wasn’t!’ He leans back in his chair moving his hands to his lap, even in the many years that have passed his father still manages to wind him up and make him clench his fists.

‘That why you joined the Serpents?’ FP watches Clints hands clearly understanding the anger behind them as Clint laughs.

‘ It was either that or sponge off the government, and I wasn’t a fan of that idea and I knew I would be looked after’ he shrugs realising that really he is speaking the truth of the reason why so many years ago he accepted Agent Coulson’s proposition to join S.H.I.E.L.D. It was all fine that he was the neighbourhood protector but he knew and clearly so did Phil that he was meant for so much more.

‘Damn straight! We take care of our own’ FP moves to hit the table with his hand ‘And on that note I should get back to the bar! Shit to do and a shower is clearly needed’ he laughs ‘we stank out this whole place’

Clint nods as FP gets up, before he moves to get up from the chair even as his muscles protest clearly they were enjoying the rest. ‘I'll come with you, I can help out at the Bar if you want?’ the man before him nods before moving to the door, his son looking up at his father who doesn’t notice and he frowns a Clint reminding him that he is not normal here.

Shortly they are both back on there bikes riding back to the bar, Clint trying to enjoy the wind as it flows across his body. The last time he felt wind like this was when he was staring out of the back of a jet and aiming towards the helicarrier his eyes frosted over as he shot that damn arrow and started the attack not only on his friends, the Avengers but on the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D staff that turned up to work that day and his lover.

He shakes away the memory not wanting to go back with FP with tears rolling down his face, he clears his throat as they draw closer to the bar and he sits up more straight letting his back muscles flex and stretch hoping the guilt washing over his whole body will be gone soon.

They park up in front of the bar before going inside, the yelling inside can be heard before they even step in making FP tense up as he pushes through the doors. Coming face to face with the Sheriff and Mustang who is clearly denying something.

‘The hell is going on here? Sheriff? Can I help you?’ Mustang looks over at FP shaking his head 

‘I told him man! It can be you! You were here the whole damn time’ the man is clearly aggravated but also clearly lying even a child could tell that, Clint moves to the side of FP to get a better grounding of what the hell is going on.

‘ FP Jones you are under arrest for the murder of Jason Blossom’ FP’s face goes white like a ghost as the sheriff walks closer but Clint is amazed that he doesn’t fight it he just turns his back to the man with his arms behind him. Something isn’t right this just doesn’t even make sense. The type of bikers that are here would brag or admit shit like that when getting arrested but FP just goes quiet and accepts it.

Clint finally speaks up ‘ What evidence do you have of this Sheriff? Huh and don't you gotta read those rights or something to him before cuffing him! This is wrong man!’ By doing this the attention is now on Clint, a man the Sheriff has no loyalty to and no reason to give a damn what he thinks.

The Sheriff laughs ‘You think you are a smart one don’t ya? You don’t belong here so don’t get involved’ Clint frowns at the man

‘I got involved the second you arrested him man!’ FP sighs and shakes his head 

‘Leave it man. Go tell my boy. He will be at the Andrews house. Make sure he’s okay’ and with that the man is dragged from the bar. Clint can believe what the hell he is seeing its like a flashback of his own life except his father always managed to get the abuse charges dropped. Clint wasn’t about to sit here while his kid lost his dad to something it seemed pretty clear he didn’t do.  
He turned to Mustang ‘ You know where the Andrews house is?’ the man before him nodded before moving to the bar and writing down an address and handing it over before moving upstairs. Clint’s mind was racing, something very fishy was going on here and he was going to find out…..maybe after a shower though.

‘You have always managed to read people so well Clint, don’t ever lose that love’


	10. Even Snakes can be poisoned

Clint practically rushed through his shower trying to think about what he was gunna say to FP’s kid, how could he stand there and be like oh hey you dont know me but your dad just got locked up want me to take you to see him. He let out a long sigh as he let the hot water hit his back as he got a bit lost in thought, his mind dragging him back to when he was a kid as he would stand in front of his mother to protect her as his father came back from what felt like a millisecond in jail.

He shook his head to rid the thoughts as he turned off the shower and moved to dry off an get ready to go to the Andrew’s house. Pulling on his leather jacket he headed to his bike and to the scribbled address on the napkin that Mustang had given him.

The house looked like a typical suburban house, the family clearly had money at one point but they weren't trying to show it off. Clint hummed as he put the bike on the kickstand wondering if this is what a normal house looked like round here or if this was high end.

He walked towards the house, his mind still trying to decide what to say to the kid and how to explain to the Andrew’s why he was just randomly showing up to talk to some kid. This would of worked so much better if he was younger. He moved to rub at his face as he got to the door about to knock when movement on his right made him look over at the window where a blonde girl quickly jumped from view. The girl from the diner of course they would live next door to each other, he rolled his eyes before knocking on the door and waiting.

The door before him swung open and the redheaded Jock from earlier smiled before realising there was a Serpent standing on his door step. ‘Uh….DAD?’ the boy clearly looked worried as Clint shifted on his feet and the other Andrew’s man came to the door.

‘Can I help you? You are pretty lost if you think this is the Snake pit’ Clint swallowed thickly before finally speaking ‘ Actually Fred, FP sent me here to speak to his son if he is about’ The man in the doorway frowned and moved aside letting Clint inside before the neighbours started wondering what was going on.

Fred called down the boy who practically jumped down the stairs freezing at the halfway point when he saw Clint standing there with the familiar leather jacket on before slowly moving down the stairs. ‘So what does my dad want now? You know I don’t live with him right? If you are here to bring me home or something’ he eyes up Clint unsure of his intentions.

Clint laughs trying to relax his stance so the kid before him relaxes slightly ‘ I am not here to bring you anywhere if you don't want kid. Your Dad asked me to let you know something but it’s quite sensitive if you want to go somewhere a bit more private’ he looks at the two Andrew’s men not sure what kinda relationship the boy has with them.

‘Whatever it is, Mr Andrews and Archie can hear it. Just spit it out already we have a video game on pause upstairs’ the boy rolls his eyes but Clint can already tell he is nervous about this information, shifting slightly from foot to foot.

Clint nods at the boys words ‘ Well your father has just been arrested, the second we got back to the Snake pit the sheriff was waiting’ The Andrew’s men look worriedly at each other before Jughead cuts in.

‘Really? That's what he made you come here to tell me? My dad is a serpent what do you expect! He gets arrested all the damn time’ Clint clears his throat trying to signal that he wasn't done which makes the teen stop.

‘He was arrested for the murder of Jason Blossom’ He pauses to give them a second to take in the information he's just basically thrown in a teenagers face. It takes a couple seconds before the shock and fear shows on the kids face before him and Archie speaks up.

‘Hey man, Jug we know he didn’t do it’ the redhead grins pulling his friend closer trying to play off the severity of what he was just told. The boy looked over to Clint with what he can only explain as pleading eyes. 

‘I wanna see him’ he managed to get out as his voice broke and Fred spoke up looking at Clint square in the eyes. 

‘ Do you think that’s a good idea Jug? He might not want to see you’ Clint waited patiently unsure of if he was supposed to reply or if he should just stay as an outsider in the conversation, one thing he did know for sure is that Fred didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him.

‘He clearly wanted me to go Mr.Andrew’s! Why would he send this guy here to tell me. You’ll take me right’ he looked at Clint stepping forward

‘Oh, I yeah. Of course i'll take you kid’ he smiled trying to comfort him knowing that maybe in his world everything had just imploded and understand why he wanted to find out what the hell was going on from the source. The boy moved to the door after shrugging on his beaten up denim jacket moving outside.

‘Uh right, i’ll make sure not to have him home late Fred. Do you want my number incase?’ he looks at the man waiting for his response before he hands over his phone and Clint quickly taps in his number. ‘Sorry to bother you Fred, I am just doing what FP wanted’ The man nods taking back his phone as Clint moves outside to join the kid who is waiting by his bike.

‘Have you ridden a bike before as a passenger’ the boy rolls his eyes as he nods and Clint moves onto the bike taking it off the stand and starting it, waiting for Jughead to join him.

The ride to the sheriff's station is quiet and Clint feels a grip in his chest as the boy wraps his arms around his waist as they ride. This boy behind him is going through so much and all Clint wants to do is save him from the life he had to endure.

He pulls up outside the station and he puts the bike in park and onto the kickstand before they both move off it, Clint yet again wincing slightly at the movement.

‘You want me to come with ya kid? Or you wanna do this alone?’ Clint asks hoping he hasn’t overstepped by even asking as the boy looks at him.

‘You think you can come in with me? I mean just for the first part? Police Stations hold some bad memories for me!’ Clint nods at the boys question knowing exactly how he feels as he moves to walk forward and into the station with Jughead in tow.

‘Clint you are such a loving person, you need to share that with others, don’t be afraid of the unknown’


	11. Sometimes protecting people can cause more harm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry in the delay of this update, I wont lie I have kinda lost the push for this story and I have a lot going on right now. I promise I wont give up just bare with me

The woman working the desk at the station looks at Clint like he has 10 heads and is 60 ft tall and then of course he remembers not only is he an unknown member of Riverdale but he is also wearing a leather jacket emblazoned with the logo of the gang that supposedly killed Jason Blossom.

He still steps forward to speak to her hoping to take that pressure off the teenage boy behind him. ‘We are here to see FP Jones, I have his son with me’ the woman flicks through some paperwork before moving to stand and walk away from the desk making Clint clench his fists slightly hoping to high hell that she isn’t ignoring him. She comes back shortly with the Sheriff in tow.

‘Jughead, are you sure you want to see your father behind bars? It could be a bit distressing for you son’ The sheriff moves closer to the edge of the desk to seem somewhat human in his delivery but Clint can tell Jughead isn’t taking any of it.

‘You really think I give a dam? I want to see my father’ the kid looks at Clint quickly before speaking again ‘and he is coming with me!’ 

The Sheriff looks at Clint almost like he is still completely unsure of him before looking back at Jughead. ‘If that’s what you want kid, but you only get 30 minutes so don’t dally’ Jughead nods before moving to the gap in the desk waiting to be let in, making Clint realise that he has clearly been here before to deal with this kinda crap.

Clint follows him as the Sheriff lets them in and back to the cell. The town is clearly small because the station only has one cell and hell it's a lot larger than any of the ones Clint had to spend a night in and FP is the only person in it. Clint won't lie he was kinda jealous.

The Sheriff walked away with the reminder of the time limit echoing within the walls. Jughead moves closer to the bars where his father is pearched on a bench looking over at them both.

‘Thank you for bringing him’ Clint nods and steps back slightly as Jughead wraps his hands around the bars, his hands going white from the tightness.

‘Tell me you didn’t do it Dad, tell me you didn’t kill Jason Blossom’ His head moves to rest on the bars the metal cold against his skin as his father moves closer

‘Jughead, I wanted you to come here to let you know that I will be going away for a long time for this’ he looks at the boy ‘This isn’t another one of those I got to drunk and got locked up for the night kinda things okay? I need you to make sure you are okay, stay at the trailer if you need okay?’ 

Clint sit back leaning against the cold wall watching this whole interaction is heartbreaking. Jughead speaks up again ‘Dad answer my question...did you do it?’ he moves to look his father in the eye wanting him to admit it.

‘ I did, that Blossom kid stole a lot of my drugs. It had to be done’ the words fall from FP’s lips like they are rehearsed and something seems so off to Clint and clearly also to Jughead. The kid moves to stand back from the bars ‘Who are you protecting dad? No one is worth going down for! You know that’ FP moves back to the back corner of the cell moving his legs up to join his cuffed wrists.

‘You can take him home now’ He looks at Clint making sure that he realises it’s more of an order than a request, as Jughead looks at Clint and then back to his Dad. ‘Dad you may be a damn Serpent but you aren’t a fucking killer’ his hands clench out of anger ‘ I am not letting you just rot in a jail because you are covering for someone’ with his final words he turns and storms out leaving Clint standing before the cold metal bars.

‘Make sure they look after him’ FP calls over to Clint from where he is sitting. He nods over at the man before following after Jughead, something just isn’t right about this whole thing. Clint has faced killers he has captured people like Loki who spent the whole time bragging about all the people they killed. This whole thing just seemed way to staged and memorised. His mind paused its race through his memories as he stopped next to Jughead who is clearly angered over the whole thing.

‘You know something kid, I have always been a good judge of character’ he takes a second to make sure what he wants to say comes out right ‘I know your dad didn’t do it, but proving it might be hard if he confesses to it’

Jughead looks up at him and sighs ‘My father is an idiot who is hiding something and I want to find out...and you’re gunna help me’ Clint looked at the boy shocked at how demanding he is. ‘We are gunna find out who really killed Jason Blossom and get my dad out of this shithole.

Clint rubbed at his face with a soft sigh ‘ We are gunna need some serious evidence to do that kid’ he knows he has just signed up to the freaking scooby doo gang but he can’t let an innocent man go to jail. ‘First though I am getting you home, last thing I need is someone else hating me for no reason’ Jughead laughed.

‘You know you aren’t that bad, this town is just on edge’ he shrugs ‘Our top football player winds up dead, a Jock is sleeping with a teacher and now my dad is in jail. It's all a go in Riverdale’

Clint nods as he walks out of the station with Jughead ‘Thanks kid, we should probably start this whole thing tomorrow? Like uh after school...if you go to school that is?’ Jughead nods holding out his phone for Clint as they make it to the waiting bike and Clint puts his number into the device before handing it back and starting the bike.

Jughead moves behind Clint again and he heads back to the house, yet again his brain using that time to try and figure out how to get a guy out of jail, it's not like he could call Hill. He drops Jughead off with a short bye and heads back to the Bar knowing it's more than likely gunna be a sleepless night planning.

Once in the bar he moves straight up to his room closing the door before anyone can ask him any questions, moving to get out a pad of paper and writing down one name and circling it.

Jason Blossom

‘Agent Barton you cannot keep jumping off buildings, especially with civilians in your arms’


End file.
